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Tom Hanks: Best Voice Acting Oscar Category Unnecessary

From FBC News · () English

Translated from English, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Context piece
  • Tom Hanks believes a separate Best Voice Acting Oscar category is unnecessary, stating that voice actors can already win Best Actor.
  • He argues that the Academy should focus on recognizing any performance that moves the voters, regardless of whether the actor appears on screen.
  • Hanks, who voices Woody in the Toy Story franchise, shared his thoughts on the demands of voice acting, noting the consistent pressure and physical requirements across the films.

Tom Hanks, a veteran actor known for his iconic role as Woody in the Toy Story films, has voiced his opinion against the creation of a separate Best Voice Acting category at the Academy Awards. Hanks believes the current Oscar structure is sufficient, asserting that "just a voice actor can win Best Actor."

I think they have enough categories.

— Tom HanksHanks expressed his view on the number of categories at the Academy Awards.

"The judgment is any performance that moved you, so that’s a quality," Hanks told Gold Derby in a recent interview. He emphasized that the Academy should prioritize performances that resonate with voters, irrespective of whether the actor is physically present on screen. Hanks, a two-time Best Actor Oscar winner himself, has been a long-time member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

Hanks pointed to actors like Andy Serkis, known for his motion-capture performances in franchises like "The Lord of the Rings" and "Planet of the Apes," as examples of performers who deliver "all the raw material" without appearing on camera. He suggested that it is entirely possible for a "pure vocal actor" to be nominated for, and win, a leading actor award if their performance is compelling enough.

The truth is, just a voice actor can win Best Actor. The judgment is any performance that moved you, so that’s a quality.

— Tom HanksHanks explained his reasoning for not supporting a separate voice acting category.

Reflecting on his own extensive experience as a voice actor, particularly for the Toy Story franchise, Hanks described the recording process as consistently demanding. "Over the course of five movies, we’ve gone back to the same confines, and it’s the same geometry," he explained. "The mic is here, the stand is there, the team is there... I experienced the same anxiety, pressure, physical demands of it. So there actually is a familiar sameness."

We have talked about, for example, Andy Serkis for whatnot. Even though he does not appear as Andy Serkis, he gives all the raw material to it.

— Tom HanksHanks used Andy Serkis as an example of an actor whose performance transcends on-screen presence.

Toy Story 5 is scheduled to be released in theaters on June 19.

If they are moved, that means that they are moved by a human being’s performance. That’s all the requirement.

— Tom HanksHanks reiterated his belief that voter emotional response is the key criterion for an Oscar nomination.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by FBC News in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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